We received another update from the orphanage today!  Below are the pictures.  The brown shirt with butterflies is one that we sent and the blue ball she has is from Cayden.  We finally got a big smile out of her!!  We also received two videos.  In one she is laughing.  Too cute!  We are so ready to go get her.  In her update they describe her as active and clever and excellent development when compared with her peers.  Smart girl!

Her hair is growing out too!  It's going to look so cute with a big bow in it!

We received an email from our agency today that our DS-230 and LSC are on the way to China today. We should know in the next month when we go get her.  We can't wait to get our Chelsea home.

Friday we received our email from the NVC with the letter that we need to get our paperwork to the Embassy in China!  I sent all the documents to the agency Friday and they will arrive Monday.  Everything should be on its way to China tomorrow!  Yay!  I also received these pics from the orphanage.

We received our I800 in the mail today!!!!  Finally!  Preparing and gathering all the paperwork to Fedex to our agency today.  We also found out that our information is at the NVC so waiting on our notice from them that our request has been sent to the Embassy in China.  Getting closer!

All of this waiting is taking its toll.  Ugh!!!!!  I received an email Friday from USCIS that our I800 has been approved.  They said that it should be here in 7-10 days.  Surely the mail won't take that long but until it's here I will be stalking the poor mailman.  I spoke with our USCIS officer today and she gave me the tracking number for the 2 day express package they sent to NVC (visa).  It was going out today.  Hopefully my I800 went out Friday.  Why things sit on peoples desk is beyond me!  We are cutting it close to going at Christmas.  I also stalk people's blogs and charts on adoption websites to see when families, at the same stage as we are, travelled last year.  I found one family today that received their I800 on 10/20/11 and travelled on 12/13/11.  I have no problem spending Christmas in China:)

I also received an email Friday from a lady who went to pick up her adopted son from the same orphanage Chelsea is at.  She sent me these pictures.  Isn't she sweet?!?  I also requested a new update with current measurements today and new pictures and videos.  I should have those soon. Her care package is supposed to arrive Thursday.  I requested that they put her outfit on her and take a picture so I can see how it fits.  We'll keep our fingers crossed for that.

So, the waiting continues...............

The last time I tried to update the blog my hard drive crashed right in the middle of it:)  Hopefully I will have better luck today.

We received our LSC on 9/4/2012 and sent our I-800 off on 9/6/2012.  As I kept watching the mailbox for our approval, I knew after 2 weeks something was wrong.  It was.  I received notice last week that I forgot to add Supplement 3 which shows that we had our Home Study updated for a 0-5 year old instead of a 2-5 year old.  Ugh!  We are praying this does not hold us up until after Christmas.  I spoke with our officer at USCIS yesterday and she said that we should have approval by the beginning of next week.  I already have all other forms and passport pic for Chelsea ready to go as soon as I receive it.

It is become very real in the past couple of weeks that she will be here before we know it.  The bedding is in.  I am picking out paint color today.  A carpenter is coming this weekend to expand the closet doors in her room and then hopefully paint next week.  My sweet nephew is passing along his bedroom furniture and I am having it painted also.  Then we can put her room together in the next couple of weeks!  I have cleaned out closets and other rooms.  Nesting:)  I have researched toys and things we will need.  I have registered at a couple of places.  Very strange adding these sorts of things into a busy life of work and two boys (11 & 9).  We can not wait for her to get here and see how our live's change!  We are always talking about "when Chelsea gets here" with the boys.  They are so excited and the end is in sight.

Hopefully I will have an update by mid-week that our last batch of paperwork is in the mail!